Identifier: photographichist05inmill (find matches)
Title: The photographic history of the Civil War : in ten volumes
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Miller, Francis Trevelyan, 1877-1959 Lanier, Robert S. (Robert Sampson), 1880-
Subjects: War photography
Publisher: New York : Review of Reviews Co.
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant

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War Stanton that it was one of themost difficult oj^erations of the kind ever performed. Immediately after returning to Washington from Har-pers Ferry, the engineer troops, with their bridge-equipage,were sent to Fort INIonroe, in Virginia, and were moved thence,on Aj^ril 4th, to a camp near Yorktown, in jwepaiation forthe Peninsula camj)aign. In front of Yorktown the bat-talion was engaged in constructing trenches and lines of com-munication, and in suj^erintending and instructing details ofsoldiers who were unfamiliar with methods of modern warfare.At this period of the war (1862), the troops of the infantryand the cavalry had received no training in the constructionof field-fortifications. Consequently, the duty fell heavily onthis battalion of men who had received such instruction. Orders to construct a bridge across the ChickahominyRiver were received late on the afternoon of the 31st of i\Iay.The river was rising rapidly, and the night was extremely dark. d. I - ( 1 Ik: V M liJ,
Text Appearing After Image:
THE MEN WHO AL\DE AL\PS—TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS BEFORE YORKTOWN This pliotograph of iVIay, \8Qi, affords the hist chance to see the Topograi)liical Engineers at work as a dis-tinct organization. At the time this view was taken they still existed as a separate branch, their duties werethe compilation of maps and other topographical data for the use of the army; but by act of March 3, 1863,the Corps of Topographical Engineers was abolished and merged into the Corps of Engineers. Time andagain on the field of battle the exact knowledge of locality decided the result. Great advantage lay ■\\ith theofficers who had the most reliable and detailed maps. None such existed of the theater of war in Virginia, andon this corps fell the duty of providing all topographical data necessary for the Army of the Potomac. Theofficers were all highly trained in engmeermg work, especially in the surveys necessary for their maps, andin their preparation. In this photograph is a surveyors level, and on t

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